Eileen Myles (they/them) is many things; An acclaimed poet and novelist. A dog lover. A lesbian and transgender icon. An East Village local. A political commentator. A photographer. A feminist. A neighborhood preservationist. Their multi-faceted contributions to the fabric of New York’s counterculture place them as one of the most influential poets of the city’s […]
Native American poet Diane Burns was a luminous, integral fixture of the Downtown arts scene beginning in the 1970s until her death in 2006. Her poetic body of work contains achingly earnest descriptions of her personal experiences as a Native American woman to droll, prophetic indictments of early gentrification in the East Village. Born in […]
Almost 200 years after it was first published, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven still terrifies and delights. The poem, about a forlorn lover tormented by a mysterious bird as he slowly descends into madness, permeated both critical circles and the popular consciousness, proving that the macabre could and should share a space with literary fiction […]
Both the reach and the origins of those who have called the Greenwich Village Historic District home have always been international in scope; Kahlil Gibran is a prime example of that broad reach. Born on January 6, 1883, in Lebanon, which at the time was part of Ottoman Syria, educated in Beirut, Boston, and Paris, […]
On March 26th, 2018, GVSHP and friends will gather around the Cherry Lane Theater stage by candlelight to celebrate the trailblazing women poets of the Village. Each poet merits an entire book (at least) in celebration of her life, work, and legacy. But today we’ll focus on just two of them: Lola Ridge and Sonia […]
Today marks William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, although some sources say his exact date of birth is unknown. He never set foot in the Village – he lived before it was developed by European settlers – but Shakespeare would likely be pleased with the neighborhood’s vibrant literary history. How many other places can celebrate such a […]
